Home  /  Daily Current Affairs  /  22-03-2021 / Gram Ujala Scheme

Gram Ujala Scheme

Posted on March 22, 2021 by admin1  54

In News

Recently, the Government has launched the Gram Ujala scheme from Arrah, Bihar.

About the Scheme

  • Under it, high-quality and energy-efficient LED bulbs will be given for Rs. 10 per piece.
    • The government’s previous Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All (UJALA) scheme had cut LED bulb prices to Rs. 70 apiece from around Rs. 310 in 2014.
  • The bulbs are offered by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
  • Under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the scheme will claim carbon credits.
    • It will be financed entirely through carbon credits and will be the first such programme in India.
  • Carbon credit buyers will also be sought through an open process based on initial discussions with the market.
  • The balance cost and margin on the LED cost will be recouped through the carbon credits earned.

Significance

  • It will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million kWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million tonnes CO2/year.
  • It will also enable better illumination, at an affordable price, leading to a better standard of life, financial savings, more economic activity, and better safety for rural citizens.
  • It removes the price barrier for rural consumers. In addition, the energy savings garnered will reduce a household’s energy outlay, enabling higher disposable income and savings.

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All (UJALA) Scheme

  • It is a zero-subsidy scheme launched in 2015.
  • It is also known as the LED-based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) and is the world’s largest domestic lighting project.
  • Aim: To promote the efficient usage of energy for all i.e., its consumption, savings and lighting.
  • Eligibility: Every domestic household having a metered connection can get the LED bulbs.
  • Achievements so far:
    • EESL has distributed over 36.69 crore LED bulbs across India, which has resulted in
      • Estimated energy savings of 47.65 billion kWh per year.
      • Avoided peak demand of 9,540 MW.
      • Estimated GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction of 38.59 million tonnes CO2 per year.
    • It has helped in the growth of domestic LED markets.
    • It has helped to bring down the average household electricity bills by 15%.

Clean Development Mechanism

  • It is defined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, which allows a country with an emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries.
  • Such projects can earn saleable Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits, which can be counted towards meeting Kyoto targets.
  • It is the first global, environmental investment and credit scheme of its kind, providing a standardized emissions offset instrument, CERs.

Carbon Credits

  • A carbon credit is a permit that allows the company that holds it to emit a certain amount of CO2 or other greenhouse gases.
  • One credit permits the emission of a mass equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide.
  • These were devised as a market-oriented mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Companies get a set number of credits, which decline over time. They can sell any excess to another company.

Source: LM


Other News of the Day

                                     Facts in News Jaapi, Xorai and Gamosa in Assam   As the polling date draws closer, decorative Jaapis (field hats), hand-woven Gamosas and bell-metal Xorais are making frequent appearances in Assam Jaapi The jaapi is a conical...
Read More

In News Recently, entrepreneurs and companies from Tamil Nadu have highlighted their concerns regarding the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. About MSME Sector The Government of India enacted the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 in terms of which the definition of micro, small and medium enterprises is as under...
Read More

In News India will receive its first batch of cheetahs from Africa by the end of 2021. About As part of the programme, two experts, one from Namibia and the other from South Africa the two countries with the highest cheetah populations in the world, will arrive to train Indian forest officers and wildlife experts...
Read More

In News According to the Global Energy Monitor report, India is among the top five emitters of methane from proposed coal mines worldwide. Key Highlights The countries with the highest amount of methane emissions from proposed coal mines are China (572 Mt), Australia (233 Mt), Russia (125 Mt), India (45 Mt), South Africa (34 Mt),...
Read More

In News West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mentioned the Universal Basic Income for every family in her released Party manifesto for the 2021 Assembly election. About Under the income scheme, all the 1.6 crore families under the general category will get ?500 a month and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population ?1,000 a...
Read More

In News The US is planning to cut off the export of helium from 2021 and the Indian industry stands to lose out heavily. The US is the biggest storehouse and the most important exporter of helium across the world. Every year, India imports helium worth Rs. 55,000 crores from the US to meet its...
Read More